Childproof aspirin container

ABSTRACT

A pill box comprising a tray and a cover hingedly attached thereto. The lid and tray having nesting walls of which the front walls are formed with complementary frictional latch means. A pair of detents is provided along the tray side walls so as to provide a fulcrum about which the lid is rocked. Pressure forces are required to be applied simultaneously at the rear corners of the lid to open the box.

Umted States Patent [1 1 [111 3,894,654

Frankenberg July 15, 1975 [54] CHILDPROOF ASPIRIN CONTAINER 2,579,95412/1951 ONeil 220/283 [75] Inventor: Henry E. Frankenberg, Boca Raton,

Primary ExaminerGeorge T. Hall [73] Assignee: Continental Can Com any, IAttorney, Agent, or Firm.l0hn J. Kowalik; Joseph E.

New York, NY. Kerwin; William A. Dittmann [22] Filed: May 24, 1974 1 pp0 57 ABSTRACT Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart ofSer. No. 264,115, June 19, A pill box comprising a tray and a coverhingedly at- 1972, abandoned. tached thereto. The lid and tray havingnesting walls of which the front walls are formed with complemen- [52]US. Cl. 220/283 t fri tional latch means. A. pair of detents is pro-[51] Int. Cl B65d 43/16 vided along the tray side walls so as to providea ful- [58] Field Of Search 220/281, 282, 283 crum about which the lidis rocked Pressure forces are required to be applied simultaneously atthe rear [56] References Cite corners of the lid to open the box.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,630 2/1942 Dahlgren 220/283 15 Claims, 17Drawing Figures CHILDIPROOF ASPIRIN CONTAINER This application is aContinuation-In-Part of my application Ser. No. 264,115, filed June 19,1972, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates toboxes and more particularly to boxes formed of sheet metal and designedto contain small articles such as pills, tablets or the like.

Heretofore, boxes have been constructed so that upon application ofpressure at one corner of the box, the lid is fulcrumed and may beopened. This design makes it very simple for a child to open. Thiscreates a problem because children frequently gain access to themedicine cabinets and remove the aspirin boxes and consume the contentsthereof.

By the present invention, it is proposed to modify the construction ofthe conventional pill or aspirin box so as to make it more difficult fora child to open and yet not too difficult for an adult.

This is accomplished by providing a pill box including a tray having abase and four upstanding walls. A lid is hingedly attached to the rearwall of the tray and includes a top having depending walls whichnestingly receive the tray walls. The front walls of the tray and lidare provided with frictional engageable latch means. The lid is provideda pair of detents located adjacent to the rear wall and in engagementwith the respective upper edges of the upstanding side walls of thetray. The detents serve as fulcrum points about which the lid rocks uponpressure applied by the thumb and forefinger at each of the rear ends ofthe container to overcome the frictional forces of the latch means tosnap the front of the lid to an open position. The fulcrums arepreferably located so that the lever arm relationships require pressureforce at both of the rear corners simultaneously. The dual action ofsimultaneously applied pressures has been found to be beyond theunderstanding of a child less than about five years of age.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a pillbox incorporating the features of the present invention with some of theparts broken away to show underlying detail of structure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the box taken generally along the lines 2-2 ofFIG. 1 with some of the parts broken away to show underlying details ofstructure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 3-3 ofFIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 16 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 4 is a front edge view of the novel container in closed positionwith a portion of the shirt broken away.

FIG. 5 is a front edge view of the base and cover of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side edge view of one side of the container in closedposition.

FIG. 7 is a side edge view of the cover and base of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7A is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7A of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a rear edge view of the container closed.

FIG. 9 is a rear edge view of the cover and base of FIG. 8 showing theparts separated.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view takensubstantially on line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a front edge view of the container showing the deflection ofthe parts when the left rear corner only is pressed.

FIG. 12 shows the position of the parts at the front right corner whenthe parts are according to FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 shows the rear edge of the container with the parts deflected atthe left rear corner.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary cross-section of the cover portion showing theposition of the parts at the left rear corner.

FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the container showing the pressurepoint position to effect the FIGS. 11-14 deflection of the parts; and

FIG. 16 is a rear view of the container showing the disposition of theparts upon pressure being applied to both rear corners of the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 1-3

The container or box 10 is formed of sheet metal, preferably ofgenerally oblong shape and having rounded corners as shown in FIG. 1.The box 10 includes a tray 11 and lid 12 hingedly attached thereto.

The tray 11 comprises generally a base or bottom 13 having a front wall14, side walls 15 and a rear wall 16. The walls 14, 15 and 16 terminatein edges 27.

The lid 12 comprises a top wall 12a having a downwardly depending frontwall 17, side walls 18-18 and a rear wall 19. The rear wall 19 is formedwith a pair of spaced hinge leaves 20 between which there is disposed asingle hinge leaf 21 provided on the rear wall 16 of the lid 12.Extending between the hinge leaves 20 and through the center hinge leaf21 of the lid 12 is a pintle 22 which serves to pivotly connect the lid12 to the tray 11.

The front upstanding wall 14 is formed with an outward convex projection23 which seats within and frictionally engages a complementary concaveindentation 24 formed in the downwardly depending front wall 17 of thelid 12. The convex projection 23 and concave in dentation 24 form alatch 25 which retains the lid 12 closed over the tray 11 until thefrictional forces between the contacting surfaces of the projection 23and the indentation 24 are overcome.

In accordance with the present invention, a pair of detents 2626 areformed in the top wall 12a of the lid 12 along each of the downwardlydepending sides. The detents are each of shallow concave contour topermit limited rocking of the lid 12 on the upper edges 27-27 of theupstanding side walls 1818 and thereby to serve as fulcrums for the lid12. The detents 2626 are of such a height and located so that pressuremust be simultaneously exerted between the thumbs and forefingers atboth of the rear corners of the lid 12 to create a force overcoming thefrictional forces at the latch. The lid 12 may then be freely raisedabove the tray 11. The location of the detent 26 may be selectivelypositioned along the side of the lid so as to make the lever armrelationship such that the finger force required to release the lid isgreater than that capable of being exerted by a small child. Moreover,it has been found that a child up to an age of understanding of aboutfive usually does not understand that both rear corners must bedepressed simultaneously.

To forestall the opening of the container by a child as by pryingbetween the front walls of the lid and tray, the downwardly dependingwalls 17, and 18l8 on the lid 12 extend substantially to the base 13.This minimizes the possibility that a child may pry the latch open byplacing his teeth or finger nails'between the front walls of the lid 12and tray 11.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF FIGS. 4 16 3 off at their upper edgesdiagonally whereby each side web has downwardly sloping end edges 113and 114 (FIG. 7) and a ridge-like intermediate section 115 and similarlythe front and rear portions of the skirt 105 have inclined upper endedges 116, 117 (FIG. 5) and a ridge-like center section 118 with a topedge preferably parallel to the base, and the rear portion 107 hasinclined end edges 116a, 117a and a ridge-like center section 118a witha top edge preferably parallel to the base.

This construction affords relief for accommodating canting of the frontcorners 109a, lla of the upper cover 103 of the container for purposehereinafter explained.

The cover 103 has a domed upper wall 123 and a peripheral dependingskirt 126 which loosely fits over the upstanding skirt 105 of the base.The cover skirt 124 has side webs 125, 126 and front and rear webs 127,128. The corners 109a, 110a and corners 111a, 112a are sheareddiagonally and thus the side webs have upwardly angled edges 132, 133and a depending center wide section 134. The front wall 127 also hasupwardly angled lower end edges 135, 136 (FIG. and an extended centersection 137.

The center section 137 has a half-moon shape socket portion 138substantially centered thereon between its top and bottom and end edgesand provides a pocket 139a. The upper portion 139 of the socket isarcuate and the lower edge is straight and provides a downwardly andinwardly sloping ledge 140 which is adapted to spring out with the wallsection 137 over a half-moon shaped projection 142 formed adjacent tothe upper edge 144 of the center portion of the front web of the baseskirt. The outer face 143 of the projection slopes upwardly and inwardlyand is aligned with the lower edge portion 144 of the socket andprovides a ramp for the portion 144 to slide over and snap the ledgeportion over a downwardly convexed arcuate lower edge portion 145 of thelocking projection 142. The tangential contact of the flat face of ledge140 with the arcuate portion 145 in the closed position of the cover,permits the cover to rock or flex about a fore and aft minor axis XX(FIG. 4) of the container as hereinafter explained.

The rear wall or web 28 of the upper skirt also has shallow end portions147, 148 and is cut out at 149, 149 (FIG. 9) at opposite ends of thecenter hinge portion 150 which has inner and outer folded segments 151,152 forming a bight 153 through which is extended a resilient springsteel pintle 154. The ends of the pintle fit into outwardly offsetsockets 155, 155 formed in the rear wall of the bottom skirt. The socketcavities 156 (FIG. 10) are substantially larger than the diameter of thepintle to accommodate vertical movement of the cap attendant to openingof the container. The cutouts provide clearance for the rear wall of theupper skirt about the sockets 155 when the rear portion of the cover isdepressed at its side webs.

The upper wall of the cover is provided with a pair of fulcrums 160, 160which are aligned with the ridge portions 1 15 of the side webs of thebottom skirt. These fulcrums are positioned from the front of thecontainer to obtain approximately a three to one leverage ratio. As atypical example in one type of container the distance A from thecenterline (CL) (FIG. 6) of each fulcrum to the front wall of the topskirt is 0.673 inches and the distance B to the back wall of the topskirt 0.225 inches. In another container the distance A is 0.7315 inchesand B is 0.245 inches; in another A is 0.988 inches and B is 0.322inches. The material of the container is thin steel and as best seen inFIGS. 11-14 by pressing of the top cover in only one corner, the coveris caused to flex laterally. FIG. 11 shows pressure being applied at PPby the thumb and forefinger of the person attempting to open thecontainer. The rear portion R of the cover at the point of pressuremoves down until the underside of portion R abuts as at 162 (FIG. 14)preventing further depression of portion R. When portion R moves downthe portion F of the cover forwardly of the adjacent fulcrum 160 movesupwardly as seen in FIG. 11. At the same time the cover flexes laterallyabout an axis X-X FIG. 11 and the corner (a) is caused to descend.However, since the corresponding corner 110 is sheared off at the top(FIG. 12) sufficient clearance is provided to prevent. the top wallfront portion F at corner 110a from fulcruming on the upper edge ofcorner 110 and popping the container open. At the same time theconstruction of the latch prevents it from opening since as seen in FIG.11 the flat ramp or ledge (FIGS. 4 and 7A) permits the arcuate edge torock thereon preventing the latch from unlatching.

In order to prevent the cap from being opened by pressing at the centerof the rear portion identified CR or anywhere between the points LR andRR at the left and right rear corners respectively. (FIG. 16) theelevation of the upper edge 165 (FIGS. 8 and 9) of the ridge portion118a is such that it serves as a stop to prevent the user fromdepressing the rear portion of the cap downwardly a distance sufficientto open the latch.

As best seen in FIG. 16 by pressing at PP and P'-P' simultaneously, thecap does not flex laterally and the forces are directed parallel to thesides of the container without attenuation and snap the latch open, itbeing understood that the side portions of the upper skirt serve asbeams between the points of pressure application and the front portionof the lid. Since the lid does not laterally deflect, sufficient forcemay be applied without bottoming the RR and LR portions of the lidagainst the upper edges of the respective rear corners of the bottomskirt thereby snapping the lid open.

What is claimed is:

1. A pill box comprising a tray including a base having peripheralupstanding side walls, front and rear walls which terminate in edgessubstantially parallel to said base, a lid including a top havingdownwardly depending sides, front and rear walls disposed thereabout andnestingly receiving said upstanding walls of said tray, co-actingfrictional latch means on said front wall of said tray and said frontwalls of said lid, detent means of shallow concave contour on said topalong each of said edges and in engagement with the respective edges ofeach of said side walls of said tray to provide fulcrums about whichsaid lid rocks, said detent means being of a height and located so thatpressure forces must be simultaneously exerted at each of the rearcorners of said lid to create a force capable of releasing saidfrictional latch means.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said frictional latchmeans comprises a complementary projection and indentation formed onsaid front walls of said lid and said cover, respectively.

,3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said lid is hinged tosaid tray at said rear walls.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said front and side wallsof said lid are substantially the same height as the height as saidfront and side walls of said tray.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said terminal edges ofsaid front and rear walls are located intermediate the ends of saidfront and rear walls and said front and rear and side walls form cornersand have end edges sloping downwardly from the terminal edges toward thecorners.

6. The invention according to claim 5 and said top being flexible, saidend edges of said side walls adjacent to the rear wall being slopedtoward the adjacent corners and having upper edges providing abutmentmeans limiting downward movement of the adjacent overlying portion ofthe top a distance less than sufficient to open said latch means.

7. The invention according to claim 5 and said rear wall having an upperedge providing an abutment at an elevation engaging said top at a locuspreventing opening of the latch means by bottoming of said top againstsaid abutment.

8. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said lid is flexiblelaterally and distortable upon application of force at either corneralone to prevent opening of the latch.

9. The invention according to claim 8 wherein each rear corner has anabutment surface engageable with the lid upon application of force toeither corner alone to prevent opening of the latch.

10. The invention according to claim 9 and said front wall having arelieved area adjacent each end preventing fulcruming of the lid in theregion of the said area upon application of force at a diagonallyopposite rear corner to prevent opening of the latch.

11. A quadrilaterally-shaped metal container comprising a tray includinga bottom wall and a peripheral skirt having spaced side walls andinterconnecting front and rear walls forming front and rear cornerstherewith, said walls having upper edges and said corrners having apicesdisposed lower than said edges and said walls having upper end edgeportions sloping upwardly toward respective upper edges from the apices,a flexible lid having a rear wall pivo'tally secured to the rear wall ofsaid tray, said lid additionally having side walls and a front wall,said walls of the lid telescoped over the corresponding walls of thetray, means providing fulcrums on the lid for engagement with the upperedges of said side walls of the tray adjacent to said rear walls, aprojection on one of said front walls and a socket on the other forreception of the projection and forming a latch therewith, saidprojection and socket having rockably interengaging catch meanspermitting lateral deflection of said lid attendant to the applicationof pressure at either one of the rear corners of the lid to preventunlocking of the latch, and said end edge portions at said rear cornersbeing at an elevation to abut said lid during such deflection to preventsufficient movement of the rear portion of the lid as would open thecontainer.

12. The invention according to claim 11 and said side walls of the lidproviding beam means between the respective front and rear corners fortransmitting force simultaneously along both of said side walls of thelid whereby the lid is maintained rigid and thereby transmits sufficientforce to open the latch within the limit of movement of the rear portionof the lid upon application of force thereto simultaneously at both rearcorners.

13. The invention according to claim 11 and said lid and rear wall ofthe tray abuttable upon application of opening force only against'a rearportion of the lid intermediate said rear corners thereof.

14. A pill box comprising a tray including a base having peripheralupstanding side and front and rear walls which terminate in upper edges,a lid including a top having depending peripheral side and front andrear wall portions nestingly receiving said upstanding walls of thetray, said wall portions of the lid forming front and rear corners,coacting frictional latch elements on said front wall of the tray andsaid front wall portion of the lid, means on said top along each of saidedges of the side walls of the tray and in engagement therewith andproviding fulcrums about which said lid is adapted to be rocked foropening the lid, said means being of a height and being so located sothat pressure forces must be simultaneously applied at each of the rearcorners to transmit a force through the lid attendant to rocking of thelid about said means capable of releasing said frictional latchelements.

15. The invention according to claim 14 wherein said lid is flexible andcertain upper edges of the walls of the tray are positioned to abut theunderside of the lid upon application of force only to either of therear corners and attendant deflection of the lid attenuating said forcewhereby it is insufficient to open said latch.

1. A pill box comprising a tray including a base having peripheral upstanding side walls, front and rear walls which terminate in edges substantially parallel to said base, a lid including a top having downwardly depending sides, front and rear walls disposed thereabout and nestingly receiving said upstanding walls of said tray, co-acting frictional latch means on said front wall of said tray and said front walls of said lid, detent means of shallow concave contour on said top along each of said edges and in engagement with the respective edges of each of said side walls of said tray to provide fulcrums about which said lid rocks, said detent means being of a height and located so that pressure forces must be simultaneously exerted at each of the rear corners of said lid to create a force capable of releasing said frictional latch means.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said frictional latch means comprises a complementary projection and indentation formed on said front walls of said lid and said cover, respectively.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said lid is hinged to said tray at said rear walls.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said front and side walls of said lid are substantially the same height as the height as said front and side walls of said tray.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said terminal edges of said front and rear walls are located intermediate the ends of said front and rear walls and said front and rear and side walls form corners and have end edges sloping downwardly from the terminal edges toward the corners.
 6. The invention according to claim 5 and said top being flexible, said end edges of said side walls adjacent to the rear wall being sloped toward the adjacent corners and having upper edges providing abutment means limiting downward movement of the adjacent overlying portion of the top a distance less than sUfficient to open said latch means.
 7. The invention according to claim 5 and said rear wall having an upper edge providing an abutment at an elevation engaging said top at a locus preventing opening of the latch means by bottoming of said top against said abutment.
 8. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said lid is flexible laterally and distortable upon application of force at either corner alone to prevent opening of the latch.
 9. The invention according to claim 8 wherein each rear corner has an abutment surface engageable with the lid upon application of force to either corner alone to prevent opening of the latch.
 10. The invention according to claim 9 and said front wall having a relieved area adjacent each end preventing fulcruming of the lid in the region of the said area upon application of force at a diagonally opposite rear corner to prevent opening of the latch.
 11. A quadrilaterally-shaped metal container comprising a tray including a bottom wall and a peripheral skirt having spaced side walls and interconnecting front and rear walls forming front and rear corners therewith, said walls having upper edges and said corrners having apices disposed lower than said edges and said walls having upper end edge portions sloping upwardly toward respective upper edges from the apices, a flexible lid having a rear wall pivotally secured to the rear wall of said tray, said lid additionally having side walls and a front wall, said walls of the lid telescoped over the corresponding walls of the tray, means providing fulcrums on the lid for engagement with the upper edges of said side walls of the tray adjacent to said rear walls, a projection on one of said front walls and a socket on the other for reception of the projection and forming a latch therewith, said projection and socket having rockably interengaging catch means permitting lateral deflection of said lid attendant to the application of pressure at either one of the rear corners of the lid to prevent unlocking of the latch, and said end edge portions at said rear corners being at an elevation to abut said lid during such deflection to prevent sufficient movement of the rear portion of the lid as would open the container.
 12. The invention according to claim 11 and said side walls of the lid providing beam means between the respective front and rear corners for transmitting force simultaneously along both of said side walls of the lid whereby the lid is maintained rigid and thereby transmits sufficient force to open the latch within the limit of movement of the rear portion of the lid upon application of force thereto simultaneously at both rear corners.
 13. The invention according to claim 11 and said lid and rear wall of the tray abuttable upon application of opening force only against a rear portion of the lid intermediate said rear corners thereof.
 14. A pill box comprising a tray including a base having peripheral upstanding side and front and rear walls which terminate in upper edges, a lid including a top having depending peripheral side and front and rear wall portions nestingly receiving said upstanding walls of the tray, said wall portions of the lid forming front and rear corners, coacting frictional latch elements on said front wall of the tray and said front wall portion of the lid, means on said top along each of said edges of the side walls of the tray and in engagement therewith and providing fulcrums about which said lid is adapted to be rocked for opening the lid, said means being of a height and being so located so that pressure forces must be simultaneously applied at each of the rear corners to transmit a force through the lid attendant to rocking of the lid about said means capable of releasing said frictional latch elements.
 15. The invention according to claim 14 wherein said lid is flexible and certain upper edges of the walls of the tray are positioned to abut the underside of the lid upon application of force only to either of the rear cornerS and attendant deflection of the lid attenuating said force whereby it is insufficient to open said latch. 